Grass Fed Organic Ghee (Clarified Butter)

The ancient art of healing contained in the ancient Ayurveda (the foundation document of the Indian traditional medicine) puts Ghee, or clarified butter, at the very top of all fatty foods.

Some time ago my family started using Ghee as a healthy replacement for ordinary butter. But it wasn't until we discovered the Grass Fed Organic Ghee that we were fully satisfied with the taste and aroma of this delicious ingredient. In the following, I will try to point out some of the most important features and health benefits of this organic product, so that you can too, if you haven't already done that, start using this healthy butter alternative.

This Ghee is made from organic sweet cream butter. It comes from pastured cows from small, certified organic farms. Why is this so important? Simply because grass is cows' native diet. Industrial farming sends the animals to feedlots to be fattened on soy, grain or supplements, which is totally unnatural and very unfortunate. In addition, the animals are being treated with hormones or some other growth-promoting procedures are being used. This leads to unnatural growth, stress and frequent diseases, which means that the animals fed this way have to be given antibiotics and other drugs. Food Inc. is a very informative movie in case you want to know more about the ways these animals are being treated by the U.S. corporate food industry.

The grass-fed cows have much less problems of this type and their products, including the Ghee produced from their milk, are much healthier. Moreover this Ghee is of greater nutritional value and has a superior quality.

The more the animals graze on grass, the more chlorophyll will be transferred to the milk and the more yellow the Ghee end product will become. It is important that the cows go in the pastures whenever possible, while in winter, there should be more hay and silage available in their diet. This reflects on the quality of the milk, and thus, on the Ghee product from it.

USDA's National Organic Program controls the standards of organic farming of any farm that wants to sell organic agricultural products. It is a guarantee that the food people buy is produced, processed, and certified according to the national organic standards.

This Ghee is Made in the U.S.

Homogenization is, in fact, subjecting the milk-fat to pressures as high as 4,000 pounds per square inch. Consequently, the fat-molecules from the milk rupture and are made much smaller than they normally are, at least by a factor of ten. These rather small particles are now capable of bypassing the normal digestive processes. This way, the homogenized milk only delivers steroids and protein hormones, while the healthy nutrients are not put into any use. Homogenization is performed in order to keep the cream from separating from the milk so that it will not sour, but the nutritive value of raw milk is destroyed. 

Ayurveda teaches that the best way to make Ghee is to prepare it during the two weeks of  waxing moon. This is important because the waxing moon represents the nurturing qualities of the Divine Mother which are energized and transferred to the Ghee at this particular period of time. This Ghee is made by a fifth-generation, family-owned business in accordance with the Ayurvedic tradition.

According to the traditional method of preparing Ghee, organic unsalted butter is slowly cooked in a vessel. The excess water and milk solids are skimmed off and what remains is the semi soft golden Ghee oil that can be used instead of butter for frying and baking. It won't burn like ordinary butter as it has a high smoking point of 485 degrees F. As Ghee is lacking lactose and casein from the milk, people with Lactose Intolerance can use it as well.

Ghee does not spoil easily, this is a fact that we can confirm from our own experience. We store our Ghee for extended periods of time without refrigeration.  The only thing we make sure of is to keep our Ghee in airtight container to prevent oxidation and to keep it moisture-free.

Ghee contains some 65% of saturated fatty acids, 32% of mono-unsaturated fat and 2% of Linoleic acid. The saturated fatty acids are of short chain which makes them easily digestible as compared to the ones found in animal meat. Ghee does not contain trans fats or hydrogenated fats.

Ghee contains vitamins A, D and E and will also absorb the fat soluble vitamins from the other foods added to it.

Ghee is one of the best fats for developing memory in infants and young children.

Ayurveda recommends using Ghee for improving the health and quality of the skin and eyes, for mental clarity, for improving digestion and for treating ulcer problems. Ayurveda also claims Ghee to be beneficial for the whole body, and recommends it for inflammations.

The butyric acid contained in the Ghee oil has anticancer properties. It is believed to inhibit the tumor cells in the colon and to promote healthy cells of the epithelial layer.

Ghee is rich in conjugated linoleic acid, which is a fatty acid capable of providing great value to one’s diet. It is very helpful for losing weight, and is considered especially good for melting the belly fat. In addition, this type of acid is known to prevent the growth of some types of cancers and is also beneficial for heart diseases. Recent scientific studies indicate that conjugate linoleic acid may be useful in the alleviation of diabetes type II.

Ghee is abundant with phenolic antioxidants which help strengthen the immune system.

I don't know if this is entirely true, but aged Ghee is thought to have even wider range of health benefits, including treating alcoholism, epilepsy, and fever. This we have learned from our friend experienced in Ayurveda and Yoga, but some internet sources seem to claim the same about aged Ghee.

Ayurveda recommends using ghee mixed with honey as a great remedy for wounds, blisters and inflammations.

A controversial issue regarding Ghee is the link between saturated fatty acids and the increase of the bad cholesterol levels. There are some indications, including a number of scientific studies, that Ghee actually reduces cholesterol. It also protects against arteriosclerosis provided that the overall diet is healthy. In fact, coronary heart diseases were virtually unknown in India until some 50 years ago, regardless of the high ghee consumption in the Indian culture. Still, when using ghee, one should proportionally reduce the intake of other fatty foods. In case of cholesterol problems try using ghee in a moderate way. 

The best place to purchase this product is online on Amazon.com. This brand received very high marks on Amazon, and a lot of independent review sites feature it at the top of the very best US made Ghee brands.

Some people complain that this Ghee is more expensive as compared to the other Ghee brands. However, we believe that the price is justified by the superior taste and the health benefits of this organic grass-fed Ghee. So, yes, it is slightly more expensive than the other Ghee products, but quality clearly comes at a price.

In particular, the color of this Ghee is much darker than the color of the Ghee you can find in your local grocery store. Its flavor is much richer, fresh and sweet. Being an organic Ghee from grass-fed animals and non-homogenized milk, its nutritional and health value is very high. We really could not think of a better Grass Fed Organic Clarified Butter for your kitchen.

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